IslandGuru Who payed the critics

Cortechba Overrated

ChicDragon It's a mild crowd pleaser for people who are exhausted by blockbusters.

Helllins It is both painfully honest and laugh-out-loud funny at the same time.

tresdodge Young, bullied, unconfident, Manchester teenager Jimmy Grimble (Lewis Mckenzie)is all of these. However, when he is given a pair of old football boots his luck changes and he is transformed into a football boy wonder. This is worth a watch, it has many of the familiar sports film clichés but is still a somewhat touching tale with a fine cast and fairly good cinematography. Typical sports films usually follow the same type of formula as far as I can see: 1.A team or person are lousy at the sport they play. 2.Along comes a factor in the equation to start to change this. For example an excellent or determined coach to change their fortunes. 3.The team still are'nt winning at first but they have more spirit and are improving. Eventually they win their first game or achieve something in the sport they have'nt before. 4. The coach has a love interest with a players Mum or teacher in Disney sports films. Or a player finds a love interest or struggles in his or her love life. 5. The team enter a competition and win their first game. 6.There are personal problems along the way with players, the coach etc.7. Eventually the team gets to the final stage of the competition and after a terrible start to the game they look like losing. However, there is a determined fight back and they end up winning, shock horror, who could have predicted that!! OK, so perhaps this is not the formula for all sports films but some or all of the factors are involved in most. Jimmy Grimble is no exception but I still enjoyed it more than others. The lead performs his part well and the coach is played well by Robert Carlyle who is in a rather subdued role for a change. Overall, this is watchable, even if you don't like football you should get some enjoyment out of it. Average effort but entertaining enough

bob the moo Jimmy is a teenager who has all the usual worries of a teenager - bullies, girls, stepfathers and so on. However Jimmy also has the pressures of making it into his school football team as well as being one of the few City fans in a world full of Man Utd fans. When Jimmy gets a pair of old boots, things seem to turn around for him, coinciding with the school desperately needing the funds that an appearance in the final would bring.From about 15 minutes into the film you pretty much know where this is going, but the fact is that it is still quite enjoyable in a rather roughshod fashion. Not all of the plot really works though - the whole `magical boots' thing is a rather clumsy plot device that the film tries to ignore when it can, but when it can't it does seem a little silly. Likewise, Jimmy's love interest seems to take up 5 minutes but then be forgotten about. However the main thrust of this film is a sports movie and, as that, it is familiar but enjoyable.The football action is pretty poor at times but generally the feel of the film makes it work quite well - although it always irritates me to see anyone run the length of a pitch and score, magic boots or no! It will surprise no one that the film ends in Man City's ground (well, old ground now) and it looks quite good - although I can't imagine too many Utd fans will care for it. The comedy is not funny but it has a certain rough charm to it; likewise the drama is nowhere near the `Billy Elliot' level that it is aiming for, but it just about works.The cast is pretty good. McKenzie does what he is required to do by the script and that is enough. Power is maybe a bit too annoying, but again that is what the material made him. Winstone is understated but OK; Carlyle is good and makes for a good coach. Henshaw has an unpleasant character but makes a mockery of him for the audience.Overall, this is a very weak film - the football is not realistic, the drama doesn't work and it isn't funny. However it works as a rough spirited football movie that is enjoyable in a rather basic sort of way.

kevin c Why is it that the world's greatest sport continually fails to shine on the silver screen? This was going to be the football "Billy Elliott", but it never quite worked. The excellent cast merely go through the motions in this cliched tale. Still it has a charm, and moves merrily along. If you ever read Roy of the Rovers and Billy's Boots you'll enjoy this.

cottrellpj A bit unfair to criticize this film too much, it's set up like a British made for television feature (low budget, authentic grotty settings, ludicrous phony snow on the streets) and is clearly intended for a young audience. This must be the only Britflick I've seen lately that doesn't use the "f" or "c" words. In the end I felt good about it, despite the predictable progress of the plot and the heavyhanded "moral of the story" moments. The viewer will enjoy this more if he/she is up on British footballing culture, and the accents are much thicker than on Coronation Street, so you have been warned. Good cast, though every part except Jimmy Grimble himself is underwritten. McKee is gorgeous (but who buys her as a slutty single Mum?) and Carlyle takes a minimalist approach to a role that's already fairly thin on paper. Winstone is a wonderful presence without much to do, and the football scenes are more believable than in most pictures (except for the final moments, in which Jimmy is either 100 yards offside or the entire opposition took an actor's union tea break).